• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Birchfield Road Perry Barr

A No 6 tram on Birchfield Road Perry Barr near the bus garage apparently waiting to travel on to the terminus which was in the centre of the road opposite the Crown and Cushion pub. Only one tram at a time could be stopped at the terminus and it looks as if all the passengers have got off rather than waiting.
Image1.jpg
 
Another No 6 tram waiting it's turn to get to the terminus by the Crown and Cushion pub. Everyone appears to have got off the tram apart from one women who might be the conductress and presumably the driver might be somewhere in the tram having a sit down. The Municipal Bank can be seen on the corner of the Broadway.
2No6tram.JPG
 
oldMohawk, Your posting No.509 shows G.H. Watts toyshop in the background - that was an important shop in our childhood during the war years when toys and books were in short supply. We could never pass their window without stopping to peer in and marvel at the display of scarce goods. The picture has brought back many happy memories of what once was a very pleasant area to live in. Regards. willey
 
Hi Willey ... I also remember that toyshop. Birchfield Rd was my main route into town, to the ice rink, to work, and to school. I saw a lot of the road and in my very young days travelled on the old trams ... and remember the sounds of the motors, the bells, the ticket collector's 'ding' when they punched the tickets.
oldmohawk ...:)
 
Apologies if this has already posted but I found a good set of photos of Birchfield just before work on the underpass started from a private collection in the Library Archives It includes photographs of the blocks of shops between the Station and the Crown & Cushion - one I had forgotten was Rose's Shoe Repairs!

1531-0.jpg


1535-0.jpg


I had forgotten about the bungalow type building next to the old Station entrance - was it a private house does anyone know?

Link of all the photos here https://www.search.birminghamimages...geIndex=2&SearchType=2&ThemeID=623#searcharea
 
I made a suggestion in my Post 501 in this thread that the tram in the picture, car No. 367, was in fact doing a special run and not a normal service car. I have since found out from my archives that was in fact the case.
 
Some missing Photobucket pics from posts#1, 4, 22, 23, 24, 79, 195, 375 have been recovered.
Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#1
1-BirchfieldRd.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#4
4-library.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#22
22-xmas2011013.jpg

22-xmas2011018.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#23
23-birchfieldroadwithcinema.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#24
24-07-birchfield_cinema.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#79
79-Odeon-Cinema-Perry-Barr-2.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#195
195-img767.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#375
375-crownandcushperrybarr_zpse59699d3.jpg


Some Photobucket pics are permanently missing because PB albums have been deleted.
 
oldMohawk said:
Some missing Photobucket pics from posts#1, 4, 22, 23, 24, 79, 195, 375 have been recovered.
Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#1
1-BirchfieldRd.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#4
4-library.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#22
22-xmas2011013.jpg

22-xmas2011018.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#23
23-birchfieldroadwithcinema.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#24
24-07-birchfield_cinema.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#79
79-Odeon-Cinema-Perry-Barr-2.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#195
195-img767.jpg


Birchfield Road Perry Barr Post#375
375-crownandcushperrybarr_zpse59699d3.jpg


Some Photobucket pics are permanently missing because PB albums have been deleted.
Click to expand...
Can one of the bus experts explain why 3820 is showing service extra was it not a locally garaged bus?
Bob
 
All the lost Photobucket images originally posted by Astoness and helpfully retrieved by Oldmohawk in post #519 have now been copied into their original posts. Thanks Oldmohawk. Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
All the lost Photobucket images originally posted by Astoness and helpfully retrieved by Oldmohawk in post #519 have now been copied into their original posts. Thanks Oldmohawk. Viv.
Click to expand...


many thanks viv and OM...nice to have them back where they belong:)

lyn
 
Thanks Alan. At first wondered if it was the Queen but think I'm mixing that up with one of the central Birmingham underpasses. Mind you, HM could have had a full-time job ribbon cutting in Birmingham given the rate of road openings in the 1960s. Viv.
 
She was probably advised to give it all a wide berth. I would have. Birmingham seems to have become the leader of developments since the 1960's.
Given the bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games I hope the city fathers make every effort to rid the city of tall cranes and road re-construction.
 
update on birchfied libary..it was demolished about 10 years ago and is still an open space

lyn
 
Astoness said:
update on birchfied libary..it was demolished about 10 years ago and is still an open space

lyn
Click to expand...

Yes, it certainly was - I think there was talk originally of a new one being built but no chance of that now!
I loved that library, in the days before computers, libraries were the only place to find information for school homework and projects.
 
Perry Barr Library - when I was a small lad (early '40's) I can remember the very strong smell in there which was a combination of furniture polish, musty books and other unidentified substances - all very distinctive. A true library smell! Any one else recall that aroma? willey
 
Wiley - don't remember the Perry Barr Library, but that was certainly the smell at the library I used (Perry Common). It was such re-assuring and conforting smell. It helped to create a place to linger in ! Viv.
 
Willey, behind the library was Roy's Bakery at the top of Aston Lane, and many was the time I was looking through the books I could detect the very pleasant aroma of baking. I recall one of the ladies remarking to someone that occasionally they'd get rats in the library, presumably from the bakery. I agree about the polish and the musty books, though - they used to slap polish all over the place.

I spent hours and hours in Birchfield Library. If I remember correctly, before a child was allowed to go up to the balcony at the rear of the main hall he or she had to be 'vetted' by a librarian. Why, I don't know. There were only books up there, same as the rest of the place. Some evenings one or two tramp-like men would be there, reading the papers, and they were tolerated. Why they closed it, and later demolished it, I could never get my head around.

G
 
I'd forgotten about permission for the balcony area, I can't imagine why that was - I wouldn't have thought it was 'Health and Safety' in those days?!

I remember the reading room as well, just on the left of the corridor when you went in and yes, it seemed always older men sitting in there!
I expect they had a doze in the warmth as well as looking at the papers!
 
I used to use Erdington Library and yes there was that strange smell a mixture of books, polish, dust and people. But I owe a debt of gratitude to the librarian there as she encouraged me to move from the children's section to suitable adult books (she vetted what I read) and then I was allowed to change the books on the same day, because I read quickly. This was a no no because the tickets were still on the exit side and not moved across to the in side. Because I went to school in Sutton, I was also allowed to use Sutton Library which was a more modern building and the smell was not there. I was lucky to be able to have four library books on the go at once. Do you remember how they used to bind the books and gold block the titles and authors. Off topic, except for the smell of libraries, sorry.

Bob
 
A Sparks said:
I'd forgotten about permission for the balcony area, I can't imagine why that was - I wouldn't have thought it was 'Health and Safety' in those days?!
Click to expand...
A favourite trick of youngsters was to drop tickets - and very small items from the open balconies of older tramcars. Maybe this was something similar that happened in libraries with balconies. ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top